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mid-states-bolt-&-screw-co.,-devastating-loss

Mid-States Bolt & Screw Co., Devastating Loss

mid-states bolt and screw co.

Our company has suffered a monumental loss, a devastating blow to the very heart of our Mid-States family and to the fastener community.  On Tuesday 5/23/23, Marc Somers passed from this life to the next after a long, arduous and valiant fight. 

Marc was an amazing, wonderful man.  He was funny, kind, clever, bright and thoughtful. He had an adventurous spirit, was active and involved, he also had a mischievous sense of humor and a generous heart.  He was truly one of a kind.  Marc loved to help those around him when they needed an encouraging word and he had a way of making you feel important as well as an integral part of the Mid-States Bolt & Screw Company.  Words cannot express how much he is already missed- Marc will forever have an irreplaceable place in our hearts.

We honor Marc’s dedication and steadfast commitment to this company and our Mid-States family.  We honor Marc’s life. We are all better to have known him.

Lost, but never forgotten

Please keep the Somers family in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate this personal and heartbreaking journey.

Website: midstatesbolt.com


Mid-States Bolt & Screw Co. Celebrates 50yrs!

Fastener Press Releases, Featured, Press Releases

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IN THE NEWS with Fastener News Desk the Week of May 22, 2023

Here’s what’s happening in fastener industry news and events, the week of May 22, 2023.

Watch now on FastenerTV at YouTube: (10:00)


Media Library - Bumax

Specialist fastener manufacturer BUMAX has been selected to provide crucial fasteners to be used on the International Space Station (ISS). BUMAX 88 fasteners will be used to secure a new payload going to the ISS to measure the speed of sound.

Lars Holm, Managing Director, BUMAX. “Being trusted with supplying fasteners for projects such as CERN and ISS, which are essential to the evolution of mankind, is of course a source of immense pride and a testament to the quality of our products and BUMAX as a whole,”

“Being chosen again and again for the most demanding applications means that all our existing and new customers can rest assured that they are getting the best of the best.

Paolo Pozzi, CEO of Agrati Elected President of EIFI


DB Roberts

DB Roberts, a leading distributor of high-quality specialty fasteners and hardware announced that David Peterson has joined DB Roberts as the Senior Vice President, providing collaborative leadership across the DB Roberts footprint. David brings over 20 years of distribution experience and 12 years of fastener experience to DB Roberts, including several years in the custom engineered and OEM fastener space.

DB Roberts Welcomes New Senior Vice President, David Peterson


Decades of experience command ACME into the next level of lean manufacturing. ACME Manufacturing announced that John Barrett will lead the company as President and Chief Operating Officer effective June 1st, 2023. Barrett will succeed Tim Broderick as he retires. Acme Manufacturing operates multiple divisions including Acme Metal Shapes, GarageWorks Steel, Coyote Landscape Products, Regal Brands, Perfection Chain Products and All America Threaded Products. Established in 1986, Acme has operated under current ownership since 1992 and employs over 200 people across three states.

ACME Manufacturing Appoints John Barrett, President & Chief Operating Officer


The International Fastener Expo is accepting nominations for the 2023 Fastener Hall of Fame and Young Fastener Professional of the Year prestigious Awards.

The Fastener Hall of Fame recognizes professionals who have made significant and enduring contributions to the industrial fastener industry on a national or global scale. Individuals selected for induction will join other honored industry members, including but not limited to inventors, business leaders, and educators.  The Young Fastener Professional of the Year award recognizes and honors a young professional who has made significant contributions to the fastener industry.

The recipients will be recognized at a special event during the International Fastener Expo and receive a commemorative plaque. The deadline for nominations has been extended to June 30th! Nominate today: https://fastenershows.com/awards-events-page/ife-2023-awards


Join hosts Eric Dudas and Brian Musker in the NEW episode of Fully Threaded Radio – Completely Different. FTR is predominantly fastener-related news, commentary, and infotainment for the industrial fastener industry.

Tune in at FullyThreaded.com


Congratulations to the featured business in the Fastener News Desk News Series: FASTENATING!

Mid-States Bolt & Screw Co. Celebrates 50yrs!

Mid-States Bolt & Screw Company, also known as “the dedicated fastener people”, will celebrate 50yrs in business on May 24th, 2023! Founder Herb Somers had a vision for his fastener business that was simple and straightforward which led to the successful business it is today. After Herb’s passing, that vision was upheld by his three sons Scott, Matt and Marc and they continue his legacy today.  In 50 years, Mid-States Bolt & Screw Co. has grown from a business out of its founders’ basement to a multi-state, international business, with anticipated growth in the future.


Next generation advanced planning and scheduling is here! Optessa’s AI-driven optimization ushers in a new way for manufacturers to generate optimal plans and schedules in a fraction of the time. Respond to disruptions, meet delivery dates, reduce excessive parts inventory, eliminate costly idle time, and stabilize your supply chain. Request a live demo of Optessa’s NextGen APS platform today!

Visit https://www.optessa.com/ for more information! 


The Midwest Fastener Association is offering an intermediate training session Essentials of Metallurgy  on May 24, 2023 which will includes training in various areas by industry experts. Anyone selling or purchasing fasteners should have a comprehensive knowledge of Metallurgy, Heat Treating and Plating. The hands-on training will be taught at both SWD, Inc. and Morgan O’Hare. Go to https://mwfa.net/ to register for class.


MWFA will host their Screwed Up 2023 Open on May 25th at the White Pines Golf Club in Bensenville, IL. Join the MWFA for some in person networking and practice your golf before their official golf outing scheduled in August. Don’t miss the fun! Go to https://mwfa.net/ for registration. Attendees can Join the MWFA for their second “Quarterly” Nuts & Brews after the Screwed Up Open at Church Street Brewing Co.


Image

The Fastener Training Institute is offering online training in their upcoming Webinar: Hydrogen Embrittlement – What Suppliers Need to Know. The class will take place on Thursday, May 25, 2023 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PT The Webinar Instructor is Carmen Vertullo of Carver labs, Fastener Consultant and Trainer. There is no quality assurance problem that gets suppliers in more trouble than Hydrogen Embrittlement (HE). This could easily be the most important 90 minutes of training your company EVER engages in. It does not matter if you process fasteners that are HE susceptible or not, you probably sell them or handle them somewhere in the supply chain. It is critical that you have a good understanding of Hydrogen Embrittlement, its causes, its effects and how to prevent and detect it. Register at https://fastenertrainingevents.com/hydrogen-embrittlement.htm


To learn more about our NEWS SERIES: FASTENATING a limited time offer ‘Celebrating Your Success” Go to the Fastener News Group at LinkedIn. Your entry could be chosen for a FREE feature at Fastener News Desk which includes premium placement, link to your website, promo in the Fastener News communities, feature in an upcoming newsletter and ‘IN THE NEWS Podcast’ Entries may be submitted to lisa@fastenernewsdesk.com


Sleep in Heavenly Peace – AZ Community Impact

BTM Manufacturing, Domestic Fastener Manufacturer is partnering with Issco, Inc, Twin Lakes Insurance, and Wachter Inc for an upcoming event to help support the good work of the Sleep in Heavenly Peace Organization. Help Jake and his team build 100-beds on June 10th. There is a couple of ways to get involved. Volunteer To Help Build or Donate funds. The cost of this project is $25,000.  Donated funds will provide the necessary lumber and hardware to build and assemble the beds as well as provide the mattresses, pillows, and bedding to make them complete. Every child deserves a warm, soft, and safe place to sleep at night and with your help we can see that NO KID SLEEPS ON THE FLOOR IN ANY TOWN! For more info on how you can help go to @BTMmfg on twitter. Together we make sure that every child has a bed to sleep in.

Donate: interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblin

Help Build Beds: signupgenius.com


The stories featured in this week’s episode of IN THE NEWS can be found on Fastener News Desk or in our Twitter feed @FastenerNews and LinkedIn in the Fastener News Group!


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acme-manufacturing-appoints-john-barrett,-president-&-chief-operating-officer

ACME Manufacturing Appoints John Barrett, President & Chief Operating Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 05/02/23

Decades of experience command ACME into the next level of lean manufacturing

Denver, CO: ACME Manufacturing announces that John Barrett will lead the company as President and Chief Operating Officer effective on June 1st, 2023. Barrett will succeed Tim Broderick as he retires in June 2023.

Barrett’s most recent post was at Oribi Composites, where he was Chief Operating Officer for three years. John brings 28 years of experience in manufacturing to ACME. He earned a master’s degree in operations and manufacturing management from Kettering University in Flint, Michigan. Barrett’s experience extends into the United States military where he served as an Officer in the Army while deployed in Operation Desert Storm.

Barrett’s extensive knowledge in the manufacturing industry includes experience as:

  • General Manager at Mitsubishi Power America
  • VP of Operations at Wheeled Coach Ambulance
  • Director of Operations at Textron Fastening Systems

“I am extremely excited to be taking over the President and COO role at Acme Manufacturing Company,” says John Barrett. “I look forward to bringing an operational excellence mindset to all four of our strong and well-established companies.”

“John comes with years of experience in manufacturing,” says Tim Broderick, retiring president and COO. “I think he will do an outstanding job as my successor.”

 “I am genuinely excited to be working with John who brings with him a proven pedigree in manufacturing and Lean process strategies,” says Alan Bate of All America Threaded Products in Lancaster, PA. “His guidance and mentorship will allow us to continue to build on the exceptional revenue growth we have experienced in the last three years.”

ACME Manufacturing: Acme Manufacturing Co., Inc. is a prime manufacturer of a variety of metal products. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Acme Manufacturing is a privately owned and operated company dedicated to producing quality products, including metal shapes, garage door strut and angle, landscape edging products, high-end door hardware, chain, and threaded products. Acme Manufacturing operates multiple divisions including Acme Metal Shapes, GarageWorks Steel, Coyote Landscape Products, Regal Brands, Perfection Chain Products and All America Threaded Products. Established in 1986, Acme has operated under current ownership since 1992 and employs over 200 people across three states.

Website: acmemfgco.com

Contact:

Connor Koldeway

ACME Manufacturing Co., Inc.

872-999-2091

ckoldeway@acmemfgco.com


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Paolo Pozzi, CEO of Agrati Elected President of EIFI

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paolo-pozzi,-ceo-of-agrati-elected-president-of-eifi

Paolo Pozzi, CEO of Agrati Elected President of EIFI

Paolo Pozzi, CEO of Agrati, who has been elected president of the European Industrial Fasteners Institute.

A success not only for him but also for the entire Italian fastener sector (UPIVEB), which, for the first time, sees its own representative at the top of the European Association.

He will certainly have the opportunity to address a wide range of topics and challenges facing European manufacturer.

“I am very happy and honored to be appointed EIFI President at a time of major changes inside and outside the organization.

We are living in a period of great transformations which increasingly require sharing of activities at a European level and #EIFI is the best tool to represent and defend the fasteners industry and its specificities.

Despite all the difficulties of the recent past, in 2022 Europe remains the first market for fasteners globally with a share of more than 26% and I believe this is sufficient to make it clear how important it is to have a dynamic and visible association .

After more than 15 years at the helm of the EIFI Automotive Group, it is a new starting point for me and I will put all the necessary effort into growing our association with the aim of creating value for all members large and small .

I thank all the people who have supported me in this new challenge and I hope I can repay the trust shown in this opportunity.”

Cit. Paolo Pozzi, Agrati CEO

About Agrati

Corporate vision and mission derive from those that are the foundation of shared values that guide the activities of AGRATI Group and form the basis of our way of being and working. Website: Agrati.com

About EIFI

EIFI, the European Industrial Fasteners Institute, is the recognized European industry association representing producers of bolts, screws, washers, nuts, rivets and other mechanical industrial fasteners. Founded in 1977 is composed by 5 National Association, more than 150 companies, 23.000 employees (direct) and 70.000 employees (full chain). AEGIS Europe Industry Alliance is the Founding Member. Website: EIFI

The Aims of EIFI

The task of EIFI is to look after and further the joint economic, professional, technical and scientific interests of the members in the following ways:

  • Exchanges of practical experience in product groups and committees.
  • Information and consultation on all matters relating to the Institute’s objectives.
  • Preparation of aids to decision-making.
  • Representation of the interests of the European fasteners industry vis-à-vis authorities, public bodies and other organizations at international level and buyers and suppliers.
  • Encouragement of studies and research work and collaboration with scientific institutes.
  • Co-ordination of European activities in the technical field and cooperation in the field of international standardization.
  • Public relations.

Content Source: Agrati


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DB Roberts Welcomes New Senior Vice President, David Peterson

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db-roberts-welcomes-new-senior-vice-president,-david-peterson

DB Roberts Welcomes New Senior Vice President, David Peterson

WILMINGTON, Mass., May 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DB Roberts, a leading distributor of high-quality specialty fasteners and hardware, is pleased to announce that David Peterson has joined DB Roberts as the Senior Vice President, providing collaborative leadership across the DB Roberts footprint.

David brings over 20 years of distribution experience and 12 years of fastener experience to DB Roberts, including several years in the custom engineered and OEM fastener space.

A New England native, David has also lived in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, and Texas, and will office at the company’s Plano, Texas office.

In David’s words, “I am fortunate to join DB Roberts, a family-owned company that truly lives up to family-culture that it presents. The respectful, collaborative culture here truly demonstrates that employees are central to everything we do.”

“We are lucky to have found a confident leader, in David Peterson, for DB Roberts”, remarked Robert Clapp, Jr., President and CEO of the DAC Group, the parent company of DB Roberts. “David brings decades of experience leading distribution organizations in sales, operations, and management roles. All experiences that we believe will serve to enhance the DB Roberts business and our customers’ experiences well into the future.”

DB Roberts is well positioned for growth in the market area and David’s combination of experience in distribution as well as in the customer engineered space provide the leadership needed to support and grow the company.

About DB Roberts

DB Roberts is a leading distributor of high-quality specialty fasteners and hardware with best-in-class, customized inventory management programs. We maintain a significant inventory of top brands and support our customers with locations strategically positioned throughout North America.

Website: https://www.dbroberts.com

Content Source: DB Roberts


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bumax-continues-to-deliver-fasteners-that-are-out-of-this-world

BUMAX continues to deliver fasteners that are out of this world

Standardized and Custom Made Fasteners - BUMAX Products

Åshammar, Sweden, May 12, 2023

Specialist fastener manufacturer BUMAX has been selected to provide crucial fasteners to be used on the International Space Station (ISS). BUMAX 88 fasteners will be used to secure a new payload going to the ISS to measure the speed of sound.

BUMAX premium fasteners include some of the strongest in the world and are being used in a variety of extremely demanding and cutting-edge scientific applications, such as at the scientific research institute CERN in Switzerland and for the world’s largest optical telescope in northern Chile.

The space sector continues to benefit from the BUMAX fastener range with various applications. BUMAX extra strong and fatigue resistant model 88 has been selected to securely fasten the housing of a new payload on the ISS called Granular Sound.

The customer is OHB System AG, a subsidiary of the European space and technology group OHB SE, under contract of the European Space Agency (ESA). OHB SE is a European multinational technology corporation. Headquartered in Bremen, Germany, the corporation consists of the three business divisions: Space Systems, Aerospace and Digital. At present, OHB is the third largest corporation in Europe’s space sector.

”To avoid glass balls flying around the ISS”

Granular Sound is an experiment in space to measure the speed of sound through a cube filled with glass balls (a so-called package) in microgravity at different package pressures. The experiment uses thousands of glass balls to simulate granular media like sand or concrete.

“The housing of this package will be securely fastened by BUMAX 88 fasteners to avoid the balls from flying around the ISS,” said Lukas Pfeiffer, Project Manager & Systems Engineer at OHB System AG. “The microgravity experiment will provide valuable data for various terrestrial and space applications – from more effective concrete processing to 3D printing in space or on the moon.”

The enhanced properties of BUMAX 88 fasteners are achieved through a combination of unique BUMAX manufacturing processes and the highest quality European steel.

Monitoring air quality for astronauts

Since January 2022, BUMAX 88 screws have also been used for the ANITA-2 trace gas monitoring system to ensure good air quality for the ISS astronauts. The system has been simultaneously measuring more than 40 gases every six minutes on the ISS. The system was developed by OHB System AG. BUMAX 88 screws were used for the ANITA-2 payload to securely seal a safety containment and fasten crucial optical components.

“Being trusted with supplying fasteners for projects such as CERN and ISS, which are essential to the evolution of mankind, is of course a source of immense pride and a testament to the quality of our products and BUMAX as a whole,” said Lars Holm, Managing Director, BUMAX. “Being chosen again and again for the most demanding applications means that all our existing and new customers can rest assured that they are getting the best of the best.

The International Space Station was launched in 1998 to gain more knowledge about space. It is crewed by up to seven people. The ISS orbits the Earth at an altitude of 400 kilometers and a speed of 28,000 km/h, which means it orbits the Earth every 90 minutes.

Copyright-free images of the ISS for publication hereNASA should be acknowledged as the source of the material.

About BUMAX:

BUMAX® is the world-leading specialist manufacturer of premium stainless steel fasteners in a variety of steel grades that provide optimal safety and reliability in the most demanding customer applications. Customers include CERN, ABB, Alfa Laval, Alstom, Vestas, Rolls Royce and many more in industries such as marine, automotive, oil and gas, chemical processing, energy, defense, pulp and paper, construction and general engineering. BUMAX is headquartered in Åshammar in Sweden’s steel district and has a global footprint with offices or distributors in more than 30 countries on four continents. BUMAX is fully owned by the listed Swedish Bufab Group. Find out more at https://www.bumax-fasteners.com/

For additional information please contact:

Nimeka de Silva

Head of Marketing, BUMAX AB

Tel: +44 (0) 7904 980037   |   +44 (0) 1527 593780

Email: nimeka.desilva@bumax.se


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mid-states-bolt-&-screw-co.-celebrates-50yrs!

Mid-States Bolt & Screw Co. Celebrates 50yrs!

mid-states bolt and screw co.

Mid-States Bolt & Screw Company, also known as “the dedicated fastener people”, is celebrating 50yrs of business on May 24th, 2023!

Mid-States Bolt & Screw Company, also known as “the dedicated fastener people”, is celebrating 50yrs of business on May 24th, 2023!Mid-States Bolt & Screw Company has an extensive inventory of nuts, bolts and screws. The saying goes, “if we don’t have it, we can find it”, “if we can’t find it, it doesn’t exist.”  Fasteners are used in different applications and are needed across many industries. The diversity of their uses and the industries that use them are a key element of our company’s stability and longevity.

Our Founder, Herb Somers, had a vision for his fastener business that was simple and straightforward which led to the successful business it is today.

A vision that includes core principals such as cultivating a diverse customer base, treating customers like you want to be treated, knowing what you do well and do it, and hiring the right people.

After Herb’s passing, that vision was upheld by his three sons Scott, Matt and Marc and they continue his legacy today.  In 50 years, Mid-States Bolt & Screw Co. has grown from a business out of its founders’ basement to a multi-state, international business, with anticipated growth in the future.

We are proud to say our headquarters is in Burton, Michigan.  In 2019, we added another warehouse for our expanding Kitting Department, one of our services we provide to customers.  Other services we provide include: Industrial Supplies, MRO, VMI Programs and Industrial Vending Machines.

We also have locations in Saginaw, Lansing, Gaylord, Norton Shores, Shelby and Niles, MI and in Statesville, NC, Perrysburg, OH.  We have several crib locations in many states and 2 other countries, Mexico, and Canada.

If you ask the locals, Mid-States Bolt & Screw Co. is an integral part of the community. Settling itself in these different locations and becoming the fastener favorite to the surrounding areas.  Another example of our community involvement is our non-profit charity we started, Threads for Treads, T4T, which provides shoes and boots to local school students who are in need.

All of our success would not be possible without our wonderful employees. Many of our team members have been with us for over 10 years.  Several employees have been with the company much longer and had the distinct pleasure of working with our founder, Herb Somers, prior to his passing.  The Mid-States Bolt & Screw Company started small but was built on big family values. We know our people are what make us successful, and we trust our team to help us achieve our goals.  A special thank you to our Mid-States family!

Website: midstatesbolt.com


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in-the-news-with-fastener-news-desk-the-week-of-may-15,-2023

IN THE NEWS with Fastener News Desk the Week of May 15, 2023

Digital Media Advertising and Distribution for the Fastener Industry

Here’s what’s happening in fastener industry news, events and scholarship awards the week of May 15, 2023.


Listen in on FastenerTV: 


Fastener Fair USA gets underway this Tuesday and Wednesday, May 16-17, 2023, at Music City Center in Nashville, TN. Happening today is FASTENING 101, the event features a pre-show all-day training conference provided by the Fastener Training Institute. The Fastener Fair USA Golf Tournament sponsored by MWFA and NCFA also gets underway today at 1:00pm. The opening night networking party is being held at the Country Music Hall of Fame, May 16 at 5:30 PM. For more info go to FastenerFairUSA.com


Women in the Fastener Industry Announced the Scholarship Winners for the Margaret Davis Fastener Fair USA Scholarship. Congratulations to Leslie Marquina of Houston Fastener Manufacturing and Krista Osborne Brighton Best International. If you’d like to join WIFI go to FastenerWomen.com


AFC Industries continues their fast paced acquisition strategy with another recent announcement that they have acquired New Jersey based Fastbolt. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

AFC Industries Acquires Fastbolt


The Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) survey for April 2023 declined again to 46.3 after reading 48.6 in March, seasonally adjusted. While the Forward-Looking Indicator (FLI) sank to a new all-time low with a reading of 37.8. Respondents indicated raw material shortages and declining prices/margins were the primary drags in April. The Forward-Looking Indicator (FLI) also softened to just 37.8 (March 44.3). Overall, the FDI/FLI results suggest conditions remain soft in the fastener market.

Listen to episode 188 of Fully Threaded Radio for further commentary of this month’s FDI reading, go to FullyThreaded.com

Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) – April 2023


The St. Louis Federal Reserve Producer Price Index for the Commodity: Bolts, Nuts, Screws, Rivets, and Washers for April 2023 Registered at 303.173, a slightly upward trend vs the March reading of 302.059. Do You Know What the acronym FRED stands for? It’s short for Federal Reserve Economic Data, FRED is an online database consisting of hundreds of thousands of economic data time series from scores of national, international, public, and private sources. FRED, created and maintained by the Research Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Find the monthly readings posted at Fastener News Desk.


Sponsor: Next generation advanced planning and scheduling is here! Optessa’s AI-driven optimization ushers in a new way for manufacturers to generate optimal plans and schedules in a fraction of the time. Respond to disruptions, meet delivery dates, reduce excessive parts inventory, eliminate costly idle time, and stabilize your supply chain. Request a live demo of Optessa’s NextGen APS platform today! Visit https://www.optessa.com/ for more information! 


The Würth Group has released their 2020-2022 Sustainability report which stated:  “For us, the three transformation areas on our path to a circular economy are clear: Climate, material life cycles and social standards. The future viability of the Würth Group depends on creating circular connections, which in turn result in endless new possibilities for future generations. We are striving for climate neutrality by using renewable energy sources. We are establishing closed life cycles for commodities and materials along complex supply chains. We are endorsing fair cooperation within our global supply chain.

Würth Group Releases 2020-2022 Sustainability Report


About The Show - International Fastener Show

Sponsor: The International Fastener Expo is accepting nominations for the 2023 Fastener Hall of Fame and Young Fastener Professional of the Year prestigious Awards. The Fastener Hall of Fame recognizes professionals who have made significant and enduring contributions to the industrial fastener industry on a national or global scale. Individuals selected for induction will join other honored industry members, including but not limited to inventors, business leaders, and educators.  The Young Fastener Professional of the Year award recognizes and honors a young professional who has made significant contributions to fastener industry. The recipients will be recognized at a special event during the International Fastener Expo and receive a commemorative plaque. Deadline for nominations has been extended to June 30th! Nominate today: https://fastenershows.com/awards-events-page/ife-2023-awards/


Course DetailsWhether you are new to the fastener industry or a seasoned veteran, have you ever wanted to know more about how threaded fasteners are made? Although there are different methods that can be employed, the most common way of forming a fastener is by cold heading. This webinar will introduce participants to a high-level overview of cold heading, its advantages, the cold heading machine process, machine types as well as descriptions and the tooling necessary to make it all happen.

How Screws and Bolts are Made – The Basics of Cold Heading an upcoming webinar Co-Produced by Fastener Training Institute and the Industrial Fasteners Institute will take place on Friday, May 19th from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET. Whether you are new to the fastener industry or a seasoned veteran, have you ever wanted to know more about how threaded fasteners are made? Although there are different methods that can be employed, the most common way of forming a fastener is by cold heading. This webinar will introduce participants to a high-level overview of cold heading, its advantages, the cold heading machine process, machine types as well as descriptions and the tooling necessary to make it all happen. Register: https://fastenertrainingevents.com/how-screws-are-made.htm


The Midwest Fastener Association is offering an intermediate training session Essentials of Metallurgy  on May 24, 2023 which will includes training in various areas by industry experts. Anyone selling or purchasing fasteners should have a comprehensive knowledge of Metallurgy, Heat Treating and Plating. The hands-on training will be taught at both SWD, Inc. and Morgan O’Hare. Go to https://mwfa.net/ to register for class.


MWFA will host their Screwed Up 2023 Open on May 25th at the White Pines Golf Club in Bensenville, IL. Join the MWFA for some in person networking and practice your golf before their official golf outing scheduled in August. Don’t miss the fun! Go to https://mwfa.net/ for registration. Attendees can Join the MWFA for their second “Quarterly” Nuts & Brews after the Screwed Up Open at Church Street Brewing Co.


Image

The Fastener Training Institute is offering online training in their upcoming Webinar: Hydrogen Embrittlement – What Suppliers Need to Know. The class will take place on Thursday, May 25, 2023 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PT The Webinar Instructor is Carmen Vertullo of Carver labs, Fastener Consultant and Trainer. There is no quality assurance problem that gets suppliers in more trouble than Hydrogen Embrittlement (HE). This could easily be the most important 90 minutes of training your company EVER engages in. It does not matter if you process fasteners that are HE susceptible or not, you probably sell them or handle them somewhere in the supply chain. It is critical that you have a good understanding of Hydrogen Embrittlement, its causes, its effects and how to prevent and detect it. Register at https://fastenertrainingevents.com/hydrogen-embrittlement.htm


To learn more about our NEWS SERIES: FASTENATING a limited time offer ‘Celebrating Your Success” Go to the Fastener News Group at LinkedIn. Your entry could be chosen for a FREE feature at Fastener News Desk which includes premium placement, link to your website, promo in the Fastener News communities, feature in an upcoming newsletter and ‘IN THE NEWS Podcast’ Entries may be submitted to lisa@fastenernewsdesk.com


Sleep in Heavenly Peace – AZ Community Impact

BTM Manufacturing, Domestic Fastener Manufacturer is partnering with Issco, Inc, Twin Lakes Insurance, and Wachter Inc for an upcoming event to help support the good work of the Sleep in Heavenly Peace Organization. Help Jake and his team build 100-beds on June 10th. There is a couple of ways to get involved. Volunteer To Help Build or Donate funds. The cost of this project is $25,000.  Donated funds will provide the necessary lumber and hardware to build and assemble the beds as well as provide the mattresses, pillows, and bedding to make them complete. Every child deserves a warm, soft, and safe place to sleep at night and with your help we can see that NO KID SLEEPS ON THE FLOOR IN ANY TOWN! For more info on how you can help go to @BTMmfg on twitter. Together we make sure that every child has a bed to sleep in.

Donate: interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblin

Help Build Beds: signupgenius.com


The stories featured in this week’s episode of IN THE NEWS can be found at Fastener News Desk or in our Twitter feed @FastenerNews and on LinkedIn in the Fastener News Group!


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what-is-supply-chain?

What is supply chain?

The supply chain is the interconnected journey that raw materials, components, and goods take before their assembly and sale to customers.

McKinsey & Company – Listen to the article: What is supply chain?

A supply chain is made up of interconnected parts of a whole, all of which add up to finished products bought by customers. Take automobiles, for example. Before a consumer buys a car, iron ore is extracted from the earth. The ore is transported to a plant, where it’s turned into steel, which is made into the chassis of the automobile. To make the car, various components—from engines to batteries, electrical components, rubber tires, a metal body, and paint—are assembled. Once the car is made, it’s sold in a retail setting to the end consumer.

That’s a good illustration of several types of supply chain stakeholders:

  • producers, which make or grow the raw materials for goods
  • vendors, which buy and sell materials
  • manufacturers, which make materials into goods
  • transporters, or logistics providers, which move those goods around the world
  • supply chain managers, which ensure that operations run smoothly in everything from planning to sourcing raw materials, manufacturing, delivery, and returns
  • retailers, which sell goods either online or in physical stores
  • consumers, who buy and use those goods and services

What’s the difference between value chains and supply chains?

A supply chain includes all the raw materials and parts that are made into a product and distributed up the chain for manufacture and sale. In contrast, a value chain encompasses all the individual steps that are taken to create a marketable product. That includes not only physical components but also various value-adding activities that might be classified as part of the “knowledge economy”—things such as innovation, design, marketing, and sales—and that lead to the development of a product ready for customers.

What is supply chain disruption?

When any link in a supply chain isn’t working optimally, you might say the supply chain has been disrupted. Different issues can emerge. For example, an increase in inbound material costs because one material costs more this year than it did last year can have major implications on a company’s cost structure. Or labor market mismatches can cause operational concerns—for instance, if transport companies can’t find enough people who want to drive trucks to deliver goods.

There are five areas where supply chain vulnerabilities most often show up:

  • planning and supplier networks
  • transportation and logistics systems
  • financial resiliency
  • product complexity
  • organizational maturity

McKinsey research suggests that supply chain disruptions lasting one month or longer now occur every 3.7 years, on average. And these disruptions can have a steep price: they cost the average organization 45 percent of a year’s profits over the course of a decade.

What are some supply chain risks?

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has delivered the biggest supply chain or value chain shock in recent memory, other examples abound. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II, as well as supply chain disruptions in critical sectors, including agriculture, automotive, energy, and food. Changes in the environment and global economy have increased the frequency and magnitude of these shocks. For instance, the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan shut down electronics factories, and 2017’s Hurricane Harvey disrupted US oil refineries and petrochemical plants, ultimately leading to shortages of some plastics and resins critical to different industries.

McKinsey has classified supply chain shocks into four different types, based on their impact, lead time, and frequency of occurrence:

  • Unanticipated catastrophes. These are historically remarkable events that can’t be anticipated and lead to trillions of dollars in losses. Examples include extreme terrorism and a systemic cyberattack.
  • Foreseeable catastrophes. Shocks in this category are of a similar magnitude to an unanticipated catastrophe but differ in that larger patterns and probabilities can guide general preparedness. Examples include financial crises and global military conflicts.
  • Unanticipated disruptions. These are serious and costly events but are on a smaller scale than catastrophes. Examples include data breaches, product recalls, and industrial accidents.
  • Foreseeable disruptions. Some disruptions can be spotted in advance of their arrival. Examples include China–US trade disputes and the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union.

Organizations often focus on managing the shocks that they see most often. The COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder that while outliers are rare, organizations still need to consider such possibilities when making decisions and strategic moves. For most organizations, that will mean expanding supply chain executives’ long-standing focus on cost (and capital usage), service, and quality to include three new priorities: resilience, agility, and sustainability.

How does inflation affect supply chains?

Inflation can play a role in supply chain challenges. When inflation occurs, costs for input materials (such as energy) can rise substantially, having negative effects on companies’ profits and losses. One way to adjust is to increase prices (fairly) for consumers. Organizations can make more informed decisions by using an exposure matrix to assesses which categories of their products are exposed to market forces and whether the market is inflating or deflating. Also, organizations aren’t necessarily at the mercy of suppliers that say they have to increase prices in an inflationary market; McKinsey has identified several strategies for negotiating such demands.

Supply chain resilience?

Resilience refers to the ability to withstand, adapt, and thrive in the face of internal and external shocks—both known and unknown. More specifically, operational resilience, which encompasses supply chains, is about businesses maintaining robust production capacity that can accommodate shifts in demand and remain stable amid disruption, without letting quality slide.

When it comes to supply chain management, there are three steps that organizations can take to account for long-term uncertainty and possible upheaval:

  • Firefighting. This refers to short-term, day-to-day actions that can help identify previously overlooked supply chain gaps. These tactics don’t build resilience, however, so they should be used only in concert with more complex, long-term reforms.
  • Integrating and streamlining operations. Here, three actions can be critical to building resilient supply chains:
    • creating a nerve center to consolidate organizational responses
    • simulating and planning for extreme supply and demand disruptions
    • reevaluating just-in-time inventory strategies
  • Achieving structural resilience. Quick responses are easier to accomplish, but if long-term resilience is the goal, the following techniques can help:
    • constructing a digital twin of the most critical parts of the supply chain, allowing for simulations and test cases
    • creating and testing “what if” scenarios
    • increasing data sharing with suppliers
    • considering ring-fencing a small part of the supply chain team

Other factors, such as building transparency for multiple tiers of suppliers, will be crucial vis-à-vis supply chain risk management. To take just one example, tapping into digital tools, building skills, and getting clear on processes helped an aerospace player that looked to increase its supply chain resilience.

How do great supply chain organizations work?

Supply chain management (and operations, more broadly) is now a CEO-level concern. Some of the strategic operational questions that CEOs have on their agenda include the following:

  • Can we meet customer demand both today and tomorrow?
  • Should we boost capacity to prepare for prolonged, rapid growth or reduce it to prepare for a slowdown?
  • Where will we find workers who are skilled and digitally savvy?
  • How do we decarbonize, minimize regulatory risk, and stay in business?

Incremental efforts aren’t enough to capture the full potential, and drilling down in the right supply chain structure and physical footprints is a critical starting point. While it will take time to adapt supply or value chains (given challenges related to finding and qualifying alternative suppliers and to building new plants), taking a fresh look at networks and supply chain structures can help companies move forward.

Here’s an example from the automotive industry. McKinsey research uncovered that midsize supplier plants with 1,000 to 1,500 employees were nearly twice as likely as bigger or smaller counterparts to score in the top quartile on productivity. So having production divided among several plants rather than in a single megafactory could help a company move closer to customers and reduce location risks (for example, weather-induced closures).

Choices about supply chain design won’t work miracles. There’s no correlation, in McKinsey research, between supply chain organizational archetypes and bottom-line performance. But a variety of organizational mechanisms can supplement structure and help lead to successful outcomes. A survey found six markers of great supply chain teams, all of which were correlated with improved EBITDA:

  • end-to-end coordination
  • decision rights
  • performance metrics
  • social cohesion
  • career mobility
  • capability growth

What about digital supply chains?

Few established companies have fully digitized their end-to-end operations. But digitization can be a feasible solution to operational challenges seen across many companies and industries. Industry 4.0, or the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), describes the impact that increased connectivity, automation, and more have had on technology, industry, and society. In a survey of more than 400 global manufacturers, more than 90 percent of respondents said Industry 4.0 has helped them sustain their operations during the COVID-19 crisis; over half said their digital transformations have been crucial to their pandemic responses.

Digitization, including advanced analytics, automation, and machine learning, can help operations become more productive, flexible, and geared for speed. Such approaches have yielded real results for some leading organizations—for example, reducing inventory and cost of goods sold by 30 percent, lowering cost of quality by 50 percent, and improving cash and productivity by 30 percent. Surveys also suggest that digitization and an embrace of Industry 4.0 technologies can boost eco-efficiency in supply chains.

While some leading organizations have already realized value from digitization, others are lagging behind. Modernizing supply chain IT—for instance, to improve demand forecasting and planning systems—can have a powerful effect. For organizations looking to step up on IT for supply chain planning, three steps can help:

  • Redesign processes.
  • Select vendors.
  • Create an implementation road map.

Cumulatively, these changes can have a significant impact, especially when they support a successful rollout of integrated business planning (IBP). Compared with organizations that lack a well-functioning IBP process, the average mature IBP practitioner realizes one or two additional percentage points in EBIT. Service levels are five to 20 percentage points higher. Freight costs and capital intensity are 10 to 15 percent lower, and customer delivery penalties and missed sales are 40 to 50 percent lower. IBP technology and process discipline can also make planners 10 to 20 percent more productive.

An interview with Kimberly-Clark chief supply chain officer Shane Azzi underscores the importance of digital tools in supply chains. “Like many companies, we don’t always have the full picture,” Azzi said. “That’s why digital becomes such an important part of the solution—because you’ve got to have that end-to-end picture. We must be able to see emerging risks further upstream and downstream than ever before.” To get there, the company has explored demand sensing, looked at suppliers’ production schedules and logistics plans, and used digital platforms to monitor in-transit shipments.

How does a supply chain affect sustainability?

Managing an operation’s environmental impact holistically can help in addressing environmental, social, and governance issues more broadly. And the first step is often to understand the potential impact of driving eco-efficiency.

Manufacturers in the Global Lighthouse Network (GLN), a collaborative initiative by McKinsey and World Economic Forum, that have embraced digital transformation have found that sustainability and competitive excellence may well go hand in hand. GLN data collected since the beginning of the project indicate that upward of 60 percent of “lighthouse” factories saw sustainability impact as part of the effect enabled by Industry 4.0 transformations. And that research highlighted three sustainability-focused manufacturing leaders based on their commitment to environment sustainability: Ericsson, Henkel, and Schneider Electric.

Within supply or value chains, resource cleansheeting can help in designing cost-effective, carbon abated products. Designers, engineers, and purchasers could use this approach to identify factors that affect costs and emissions for a given product or service along the entire value stream and throughout its life cycle.

More broadly, a number of companies are thinking about how to decarbonize their supply chains, focusing on Scope 3 emissions—that is, emissions generated up- and downstream in the value chain. This category of emissions can account for 80 percent of many companies’ overall climate impact. Consider the results that Interface, a carpet manufacturer in Europe, has seen since setting its mission-zero target in the early 1990s: it has since reduced its operations’ greenhouse-gas footprint by 96 percent and cut the carbon intensity of its products by 69 percent.

Consumer goods companies in particular are making strides in preparing for a sustainable future by transforming company operations across the entire supply chain. Henkel, a consumer goods company based in Germany, provides one example of how a sustainability focus can flow through a supply chain. In an interview, the chief supply chain officer for Henkel’s laundry and home care business describes how the division decreased its CO2 footprint by 65 percent in the past 15 years, improving operational performance at the same time it lowered costs and CO2 emissions.

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fastener-distributor-index-(fdi)-–-april-2023

Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) – April 2023

The Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) survey for April, 2023 dropped again last month to 46.3 after reading 48.6 in March, seasonally adjusted. The Forward Looking Indicator (FLI) sank to a new all-time low with a reading of 37.8.

Key Takeaway:

The seasonally adjusted Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) weakened further to 46.3 compared to 48.6 in March. Respondents indicated raw material shortages and declining prices/margins were the primary drags in April. The Forward-Looking Indicator (FLI) also softened to just 37.8 (March 44.3). Overall, the FDI/FLI results suggest conditions remain soft in the fastener market.

Read report:

FDI_Report_April_2023


Stay tuned for episode #188 of the Fully Threaded Radio podcast with John Kovatch of AFC Industries and further commentary on the April FDI. Tune in at FullyThreaded.com


FND encourages all North American fastener distributors to take part in the FDI. 

If you are interested in being a more active part of the fastener industry, you can apply to add your company to the FDI survey group. Complete the “Request an Invitation to Participate” form by clicking here. Once verified, you will receive login ID and password information and you will be notified by email every month when the survey period has been opened.

– Fastener News Desk


About the Fastener Distributor Index (FDI).

The Fastener Distributor Index (FDI) was developed as a service to the fastener industry by the FCH Sourcing Network in 2012 to be a new benchmark for the fastener industry. The FDI is a monthly survey of North American fastener distributors, conducted with the FCH Sourcing Network and Baird with support from the National Fastener Distributors Association. It offers insights into current fastener industry trends/outlooks. Similarly, the Forward-Looking Indicator (FLI) is based on a weighted average of four forward-looking inputs from the FDI survey. This indicator is designed to provide directional perspective on future expectations for fastener market conditions. As diffusion indexes, values above 50.0 signal strength, while readings below 50.0 signal weakness. Over time, results should be directly relevant to Fastenal (FAST) and broadly relevant to other industrial distributors such as W.W. Grainger (GWW) and MSC Industrial (MSM).

The FDI Survey website is a resource than can be accessed by anyone, but it can only be updated by registered users during the monthly open survey period, which occurs during the last week of each month.


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